Mountaineers fall to Crest in tourney title game

David Grose / Special to The Gazette Crest catcher Dustin Jones awaits to apply the tag to KM runner Andrew Moore in the top of the second inning. Moore attempted to score on Zach Heglar’s single but Charger rightfielder Nick Hastings nailed him with an accurate throw.

By Alan Ford

Published: Friday, April 5, 2013 at 11:31 PM.

In a baseball tournament setting, pitching is everything – especially when the defense is solid.

So sophomore Ben Canipe’s 6.2 shutout innings of work for Crest was essential in the Chargers’ 3-0 championship triumph over Kings Mountain in the 2013 Cleveland County FCA Baseball Tournament.

Canipe left with the bases loaded and two outs in the seventh, but Ryan Luckadoo came to the hill for a strikeout to get the save. Canipe allowed only three hits with four strikeouts and one walk in claiming the win.

“My fastball was working good, and I was hitting my spots,” Canipe said. “I was able to keep them off-balance with my off-speed stuff. I knew all I had to do was throw strikes, and that the defense was going to make the plays behind me.”

That was demonstrated in two key moments. In the top of the second, the Mountaineers’ Andrew Moore tried to score from second on Zach Hegler’s single, but Crest right fielder Nick Hastings’ throw to plate nailed the runner.

An inning later, a leadoff walk to Cameron Bullock was erased when Charger catcher Dustin Jones came up firing to pick the runner off the bag at first.

In a baseball tournament setting, pitching is everything – especially when the defense is solid.

So sophomore Ben Canipe’s 6.2 shutout innings of work for Crest was essential in the Chargers’ 3-0 championship triumph over Kings Mountain in the 2013 Cleveland County FCA Baseball Tournament.

Canipe left with the bases loaded and two outs in the seventh, but Ryan Luckadoo came to the hill for a strikeout to get the save. Canipe allowed only three hits with four strikeouts and one walk in claiming the win.

“My fastball was working good, and I was hitting my spots,” Canipe said. “I was able to keep them off-balance with my off-speed stuff. I knew all I had to do was throw strikes, and that the defense was going to make the plays behind me.”

That was demonstrated in two key moments. In the top of the second, the Mountaineers’ Andrew Moore tried to score from second on Zach Hegler’s single, but Crest right fielder Nick Hastings’ throw to plate nailed the runner.

An inning later, a leadoff walk to Cameron Bullock was erased when Charger catcher Dustin Jones came up firing to pick the runner off the bag at first.

Crest had its own difficulties with Kings Mountain lefty Alex Grooms, who went the distance with a two-hitter — both of those hits by Canipe.

A leadoff walk in the first inning that led to a run, an off-line throw to the plate on a bunt in the fifth, then an errant pickoff throw in the sixth led to runs each time for Crest.

“Alex was unreal for us,” said Kings Mountain coach Matt Bridges. “He did exactly what we needed him to do, I was proud of him.”

Crest coach Steven Hodge was happy with the effort.

“We only got two hits, but Grooms did a good job for them,” he said. “But we made the plays (in the field). They’re what we talk about and work on every day in those situations.”

The Chargers (10-3), who won the title for a second straight year, now host South Point Tuesday.

“We did a good job this week, but now we’ve got to be ready for Tuesday because it’s a conference game,” Hodge said. “And that’s what it’s about.”

The Mountaineers (6-6), who host Forestview, winner of the Gaston County Easter Tournament, in their next outing the same evening, aim to keep things going as well.

“Everyone we faced here (in the tournament) was a good team, and second place is pretty good thing,” Bridges said. “We played hard and battled.”

Awards: Canipe received the award as the tournament’s best pitcher, Charger second baseman Bradley Keller was handed the tournament’s best fielder honor. Kings Mountain’s Landon Bolin was tabbed as the top hitter in the event.

Third-place game

Burns 2, Shelby 1 — In a preview of what will be a first-place South Mountain Athletic Conference showdown Tuesday night at the same location, the Bulldogs won a pitcher’s duel against their county rivals.

Bulldog right-hander Phillip Black and Shelby lefthander Jaylen Byrd locked horns and sailed through five innings without either team scoring. Crisp defensive play backed both pitchers and hits were few and far between.

That changed in the top of the sixth. Colby Creswell singled, then scored on Jay Seagle’s one-out double for a 1-0 Burns lead. Seagle went to third on a throwing error on the play then came home on Brandon Alexander’s sacrifice fly to make it 2-0.

Black seemed destined for a shutout but three Burns errors in the bottom of the seventh allowed the Golden Lions to punch a run across. The bases were loaded with two outs before Black got a strikeout to end the rally and the game.

Burns (11-3) had six hits on the day, three of those from Caleb Burnham. Shelby was limited to three hits with Jackson Mims, Chandler Young and Alston Bridges the only batters to break through.

Black struck out eight, hit one batter and walked another (intentional) in going the distance. Byrd struck out five and allowed one walk in his first complete game of the season.

Fifth-place game

West Lincoln 4, East Lincoln 1 — Dalton Towery and Chandler Jenkins combined to limit rival East to four hits for a consolation-round win Friday.

Towery went five innings, allowing one run, then Jenkins came on to close it out with two hitless innings for West (13-3).

Starter Brett Wright worked four innings, giving up three runs (two earned) and suffered the loss for East (10-5).